He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe near the potatoes. Without shoes, he dropped to all four legs so he could run faster. He might have gotten completely away if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry fence. He was wearing a blue jacket with brass buttons, and the buttons got caught in the net.
Peter gave himself up for lost, and he shed big tears. But some friendly sparrows heard him crying. They flew down to him and begged him to keep trying to escape. "You can do it, Peter," they said.
Mr. McGregor had a big butterfly net in his hands. He came up behind Peter and tried to scoop him up. But Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
